Desert Adapted

We adapted quickly to our desert home. We don't mind the heat (blush - we have air conditioning!), and we quickly came to the realization that it's the humidity we don't like.

Of course, this fella (gal?) is naturally desert adapted - and resides on the ranch of our friends Lynn and Lee. S/he is one of several they have seen since moving here.

As you can see, I am not the only one who likes prickly pears to eat.

Wildflower season is one of the most beautiful times in the Sonoran Desert.

Several weeks ago, I made Prickly Pear Jelly from the juice, but when Lynn and Lee came over for a birthday dinner, I made a pitcher full of prickly pear margaritas. (Visit the post for information on how to prepare extract the juice from the fruits. The juice also freezes really well.)

Most people around these here parts use prickly pear syrup for their cocktails, but I like the refreshing "sugar free" version I am using today.

It looks tropical, doesn't it?

Sugar free is in quotation marks because there is enough natural sugar in both the limes and the cactus fruits that it can't be sugar free. Oh, and sugar in the alcohol? Let's not even go there.

This is at the end of our driveway. Palo verdes are gorgeous in April.

This is a very simple cocktail recipe, and a wonderful way to say goodbye to our long, hot summer. You will most likely need to use a purchased prickly pear syrup unless you have a desert full of the right cacti behind your home. You can adjust the amount of lime juice to suit your taste.

One of the riparian ares in Pima Canyon.

Now, heading back to the actual prickly pear. In my last post I realized, thanks to all the comments, that I neglected to tell you that there are many different kinds of prickly pears.

In December, the cottonwoods glow in Sabino Canyon.

Many of you have seen the pears for sale at your green grocer and, while edible and tasty, they are not the source of our juice.

The statuesque saguaro cactus is native only to the Sonoran Desert.

Those are cactus figs (Opuntia ficus-indica), also known as Indian Figs, native to Mexico (though grown here) and introduced to Mediterranean Europe soon after Contact. What we use for the juice are the fruits of the Opuntia engelmannii, or Englemann's Prickly Pear. Its fruits are referred to as tunas, and this variety is native to our Sonoran Desert.

Fun facts: The Sonoran Desert includes 60 mammal species, 350 bird species, 20 amphibian species, over 100 reptile species, 30 native fish species (really!), over 1000 native bee species, and more than 2,000 native plant species. I think that is why first time visitors are surprised when they don't see sand dunes or vast blank expanses of rock - ours is a very green, lush desert! I hope you have enjoyed this little tour of our beautiful region.

Note: When harvesting fruits or other foods in the wild, please make sure you connect with local experts to make sure you aren't making any unfortunate mistakes!

Bottoms up!

~ David

Prickly Pear Margaritas

1/2 cup tequila blanco (also called silver)

1/2 cup triple sec (you can also use Cointreau)

1/2 cup lime juice (preferable from Mexican limes, a.k.a. Key limes; they are the same thing!)

1/2 cup prickly pear juice, thawed if frozen

Shake all four ingredients together in a cocktail shaker with a few ice cubes. Pour into glasses (salted rims are traditional but optional) and add a few ice cubes.

Serves 4.